Top 10 Gifts of 2016 for Teachers

Are you looking to honor your teacher with a seasonal holiday gift? Maybe your close friend just happens to teach for a living? You might give them a present that serves double-duty, one that not only commemorating your special relationship but also serving a purpose in their classroom. We have plenty of ideas for worthwhile teacher gifts. Let them know they are remembered while giving them a great classroom accessory at the same time.

1. Garden In-A-Can Set ($24.99): You don’t need an outdoor garden to grow your own herbs at home. Forget the yard entirely and go with the Garden-In-A-Can set. It comes with cans for growing four types of herbs: basil, cilantro, sage, and dill. Class activity: Split everyone into 4 groups in a “race” to see who can most successfully nurture their herb.

2.School Supply Bouquet (price varies): Here’s a great homemade gift for those friends of yours in the education business. Buy a bunch of school supplies — glue, paper, staples, rulers, and the like — and place them into a stylish arrangement. Make use of a handsome container or other appealing presentation to lend a thoughtful air to your gift. It’s one that your teacher friend will use and benefit from.

3.Water Garden ($99.99): Serving as both a fish tank and herb garden, this has got to be one of the coolest gifts ever. With a Water Garden in your foodie’s kitchen, they might pluck herbs and sprouts for use as garnish in daily dishes, all in the company of a new fish. The self-cleaning ecosystem adds a novel, low-maintenance vibe to any living space.

4. Crystal Growing Kit ($19.95): In the name of teaching students about the natural world, this Crystal Growing Kit makes an awesome gift to a teacher who might want to put it on display in a classroom. As a crystal begins to form, students will learn lessons about geology. When it’s done, the kit contains all the materials needed to perform seven different crystal growth experiments.5. A Memory-Filled Scrapbook ($35): Making a gift for a teacher will often be a wise course of action. A scrapbook filled with photographs, high-scoring tests, and other academic memories makes a wonderful present to let your educational leader know that you not only appreciate their effort, but that their significant effort will be remembered.

6. Custom Tote Bag (price varies): Give your teacher a place to stash their stuff as they migrate from home to classroom and back. You might deck out your gift tote bag with a photograph, some hand-painting, or perhaps even some custom embroidery. It’s a wide world of options when a tote bag is your blank canvas.7. Mushroom Farm ($19.99): Kids love nothing more than a fast-moving spectacle. In just 10 days, you can show them how mushrooms grow to maturity out of a cardboard box. Open this boxed mushroom farm, spray its contents with water, and harvest your mushrooms a little over a week later.

8. Amazon Gift Cards (your choice): Whether they need to buy something for the classroom or their personal lives, sometimes it’s best to just give someone the resources to treat themselves and the instructions to do so. Amazon sells a little bit of everything. If your teacher needs new books, new clothes, or a new DVD box set, you can’t go too wrong making more of Amazon available to them.9. Worm Farm Composter ($139): With this composter, teachers have a way to introduce students to the ideas associated with composting and recycling. They’ll raise a small colony of earth-enriching worms that go to work to make healthy soil, and students will get to observe them doing so.

10. Make a donation. Perhaps your teacher is a vocal supporter of some cause — pony up and let them know you’re lending support on their behalf. You might also contribute to an education- or child-related cause that makes a natural intersection with teaching. Consider Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, or Locks of Love.